Key Summary
- 66% of U.S. workers admit to “productivity theater,” engaging in performative behaviors like staying late or taking extra tasks just to appear busy.
- Visibility is rewarded more than outcomes, with 64% saying recognition often goes to face time, speed, or responsiveness rather than real results or innovation.
- Return-to-office mandates amplify the problem, as 69% believe they’re driven by visibility concerns, leading to a projected morale decline of -22 points.
- Clarity is lacking in performance metrics, with only 23% measured by outcome-based KPIs and 55% reporting shifting goals that weaken motivation.
- Employees want change, with 77% calling for real-time feedback, transparent promotions, and clearer goals that reflect true impact over optics.
Two-thirds of U.S. workers fess up to productivity theater while on the clock. Only 23% are judged on real results.
Work has always been about outcomes, but in today’s workplace, appearances often win the day. Employees are increasingly aware that the criteria managers reward, like being seen, answering quickly and staying late, are not equivalent to driving real business results. This misalignment has given rise to what many call “productivity theater”: the performance of work, rather than work itself.
Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have only amplified these dynamics. Many employees report feeling pressure to be physically present or visibly online to signal effort, even if their contributions don’t require consistent oversight or proximity. Instead of alleviating concerns about engagement, outdated office politics often reinforce a culture of “looking busy,” making it harder to distinguish between genuine productivity and performative activity.
A new Connext Global survey reveals the scope of this disconnect. Two-thirds (66%) of workers admitted they have engaged in performative practices to appear more productive, while fewer than one in four (23%) say their performance is measured by clear, outcome-tied metrics. The result is a workplace where speed, busyness and face time often overshadow true impact.
“Employees want recognition for the value they create, not the hours they log or the meetings they attend,” said Tim Mobley, President of Connext Global.
“The survey findings make clear that outdated benchmarks hold people back and cloud what success truly means. Companies that adopt clearer, fairer measures will unlock both trust and performance.”
Purpose of this Study
Connext Global, a leading provider of co-managed remote staffing and Employer of Record (EOR) solutions,conducted this survey to better understand how U.S. employees experience performance measurement, recognition and workplace patterns. The 2025 Connext Global KPI Confidence Gap Survey, conducted by the third-party platform Pollfish in August 2025, captured responses from 1,000 full-time, U.S. employees aged 18+ across various industries, roles and work settings.
The goal was to examine whether current evaluations align with professional expectations and business outcomes, and, if not, what reforms workers most want to see. The results point to a strong consensus – the systems in place today are outdated, demotivating and in need of modernization.
Key Findings
- Productivity Theater Dominates: Two-thirds (66%) admit to performative behaviors like taking extra tasks for visibility (34%) or staying late to be noticed (33%).
- Visibility Trumps Results: 64% report being rewarded for visibility at least sometimes, opposed to effectively delivering results for the company.
- Office Bias Persists: Just 27% say they’re the most productive in-office, yet 37% think their manager believes the office is best.
- RTO as a Visibility Fix: 69% believe RTO mandates are driven partly by a lack of visibility with morale projected to decline by a net -22 points.
- Shifting Goalposts Slump Motivation: 55% say performance goals shift at least occasionally, and 42% report unclear measures reduce motivation.
- Outcome Clarity is Scarce: Only 23% say their performance is measured by clear, outcome-tied metrics, while just 22% feel KPIs completely reflect good work.
- Speed Over Quality: 45% say praise goes to speed and responsiveness, outpacing tangible outcomes (40%) and new ideas (30%).
- Appetite for Reform Is Strong: 77% want real-time feedback and results-tied promotion systems, with clearer outcome goals (59%) topping the list of desired changes.
Productivity Theater Becomes the Norm
Performative work is not an edge case; it has become the majority experience. Two-thirds of employees admit to engaging in productivity theater, including piling on extra tasks to look busy (34%), staying late to be noticed (33%) or joining meetings simply for visibility (24%).
These behaviors are not rooted in idleness. Instead, they reflect a national response to workplace systems that confide being seen with being effective. Workers have learned to optimize for the actions managers reward, even when it doesn’t move the business forward.
The reality has ripple effects. Teams waste time to show productivity rather than creating it. Morale suffers when promotions and recognition go to those who look busiest, not those who deliver the most impact. And ultimately, companies risk rewarding optics instead of outcomes.
Office Bias Widens Workplace Disconnect
Employees and managers diverge on where assignments get done best, but both groups are clear that the office is not a majority preference. Only 27% of workers believe they are most productive in the office, and 37% think their manager believes that’s the case. Despite these relatively low numbers, RTO mandates are rapidly picking up.
The disconnect here may be lying at the very top. While many middle managers may see productivity fluctuate across settings, C-suite leaders remain fixated on office presence as the most tangible sign of work. In absence of clear outcome metrics, the easiest proxy becomes appearance: a desk filled, a calendar booked, a staff member “present.”
This speculation helps explain why nearly seven in ten (69%) respondents believe RTO policies are motivated by a lack of on-display work. For the talent pool, it feels like the productivity theater is mandated from above. The consequences to this are steep. 42% say morale declines under these policies, while only 20% say it will improve – a net drop of 22 points.
Rather than modernizing how impact is measured, companies are doubling down on appearances. Workers see through it, and morale is paying the price.
Shifting Standards Drain Employee Motivation
When measures shift, motivation falters. A majority (55%) say their performance goals change at least occasionally without clear follow-through and 42% say unclear or moving targets make them less motivated.
When targets are unstable, team members can’t chart a clear course and trust in the system dissipates. For many, the moving target is more than a nuisance, it’s a career obstacle. Workers who can’t rely on stable, consistent measures often feel punished for playing a game where the rules keep changing. That perception fuels disengagement and mistrust. Left unchecked, shifting standards don’t just stall individual growth, they also undermine confidence in the entire system.
Outcome Clarity Remains Out of Reach
A true evaluation system should provide clarity on what’s measured and what success looks like. But for most employees, according to survey findings, that clarity is absent.
Fewer than a quarter of employees (23%) say they are measured by outcome-based metrics, and a nearly identical share (22%) believe their KPIs fully reflect what “good work” looks like. The rest operate in a haze of partial measures and subjective impressions.
Without a transparent system for evaluating impact, professionals fall back on patterns, like speed, availability and presence. In effect, outcome clarity is the missing operating system for today’s workplace.
Speed and Visibility Outshine Real Impact
The survey shows that the actions managers reward most often aren’t the ones that drive long-term success. Nearly half (45%) of survey participants say praise is most often tied to speed and responsiveness. That’s more than the number who say outcomes (40%) or new ideas (30%) trigger recognition.
At the same time, 64% say they are rewarded at least sometimes simply for optics – either through logging long hours, being online for extended timeframes or attending meetings with no real purpose. These reinforce the idea of productivity theater being present in today’s workforce. Employees are spending energy optimizing for what’s getting recognized, even when those behaviors don’t establish meaningful value.
Employees Push for Results Over Rituals
Despite widespread frustration, the workforce isn’t rejecting performance systems, they’re wanting them improved. More than three quarters of respondents (77%) say they would be interested in real-time feedback and more flexible promotion systems tied to results.
The changes workers most want are straightforward: clearer outcome-based goals (59%), transparent promotion criteria (46%) and real-time feedback tools (41%). By contrast, only 23% want “more frequent reviews.” Workers don’t want additional processes, they want better processes.
The message is unmistakable – reform should be about clarity and fairness, not cadence.
From Theater to True Impact
The Connext Global survey reveals a workplace stuck in misalignment. Team members are trusted to do tasks independently, but judged by practices that don’t reflect real impact. Productivity theater is the natural outcome of this system, as workers adapt to what gets rewarded rather than what drives value.
The urge for change is strong. Workers are calling for success metrics built on clear outcomes, transparent criteria and recognition for true impact. The organizations that answer this call will see stronger morale, retention and results.
To break free from productivity theater, companies must rip up the scorecards that prize optics over outcomes. That means replacing “always on” availability with clear, outcome-based goals, trading performative busyness for real execution, and holding leaders to consistent standards instead of moving targets. Organizations that embrace this shift will do more than lift morale—they’ll unleash creativity, sharpen competitive edge and build workplaces where trust and performance reinforce each other instead of being drained by rituals.
“In today’s environment, recognition has to shift from immediacy to impact,” Mobley said. “Employees are telling us they no longer want to be valued for rituals. In the new world of work it’s about being recognized for what really matters. The companies that make this shift will win not only in execution, but also in trust and loyalty.”
Survey Methodology
Connext Global used the third-party survey platform Pollfish to conduct an online survey in August 2025 of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18+, working in full-time positions. Respondents answered a mix of single-select and multiple-select questions. Eligible respondents included those employed full time in one of three work arrangements: in-office, hybrid (part in-office, part remote) or fully remote. Individuals who were part time or not currently employed were disqualified from completing the survey. Researchers reviewed all responses for quality control.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It is a nationwide survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. employees exploring how workers are measured, recognized, and motivated in today’s workplace.
Connext Global commissioned the survey, with data collected by third-party platform Pollfish in August 2025.
Productivity theater refers to employees engaging in performative behaviors—like staying late, taking on extra tasks, or attending unnecessary meetings—just to appear productive rather than driving real outcomes.
Two-thirds (66%) of workers admit to engaging in productivity theater, making it a widespread norm rather than an exception.
Only 23% say their performance is tied to clear, outcome-based metrics, while most report being judged on visibility, speed, and face time.
69% of workers believe RTO mandates are largely about visibility, not productivity, and morale is projected to decline by a net -22 points as a result.
Managers often reward immediacy and presence, while employees want recognition for results and impact. This disconnect creates frustration and disengagement.
The survey reveals that unclear and shifting performance goals have a profound negative impact on employees. Over half (55%) say changing targets reduce their motivation, leaving them frustrated and uncertain about what success really looks like. Meanwhile, 42% report that unclear measures erode their trust and confidence in the evaluation system, creating a sense of unfairness and inconsistency. When goals feel unstable or poorly defined, employees struggle to stay engaged, often perceiving that their hard work is not being recognized or rewarded appropriately. This not only stalls individual growth but also damages overall morale and weakens the company’s ability to build a high-performing, committed workforce.
The findings highlight a growing need for organizations to modernize performance management. Companies that prioritize outcomes over optics will see higher morale, stronger retention, and better business results.
